POLICE COMMISSION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9577, 25 August 1909, Page 3

POLICE COMMISSION.

SITTING IN AUCKLAND

By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND. August 24. I Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., opened a sitting of the Police Commission at the Supreme Court this morning. I Constable Thompson, a delegate from the force in Auckland, said the unanimous opinion was that the pay on joining theforce was too low. It should start at 8s a day and advance by 6d a day every three years till it had reached 10s a day. Married constables should get Is 6d a day instead of Is. They asked for eighteen days' instead of twelve days' annual leave, with the privilege of letting it 1 acculate for three years. Then they wanted one day off per month and free uniforms. It was felt there was something wrong with the system of promotions in recent years. Junior men had been promoted over senior men. He urgtd that, other things being eqjat, a senior man should receivu preference. A case in point was Constable Muggeridge, of Wellington. The men had no objection to the promotion of detectives to higher ranks, so long as they were appointed in proportion to their numbers and had the necessary qualifications. In reply to Commissioner Dinnie, witness said merit did not always appear in the making of promotions. He knew the inspector was asked to submit the names of men, and he was well qualified to do so. He coild net suggest a better system ic it were followed. Witness paid discipline was well maintained in the force.